Research Information System
15TH INTERNATIONAL GASTROINTESTINAL CANCERS CONFERENCE, Antalya, Turkey, 4 - 07 December 2025, pp.30, (Full Text)
REAL-WORLD OUTCOMES OF BRAF-MUTANT METASTATIC COLORECTAL CANCER TREATED WITH TARGETED THERAPY Mustafa Ersoy, Selin Meşeli, Ismet Çulcuoğlu Kütahya Sağlık Bilimleri Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, İç Hastalıkları Ana Bilim Dalı, Kütahya
Background: BRAF mutations are detected in approximately 8–12% of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) cases and are associated with aggressive tumor biology and poor prognosis. Although chemotherapy remains the initial treatment in most cases, targeted combinations involving BRAF, MEK, and EGFR inhibitors have emerged as effective options following disease progression. However, data from real-world clinical settings remain limited. Methods: Between 2023 and 2025, five patients with BRAFmutant mCRC who had progressed after first-line chemotherapy (FOLFOX or FOLFIRI ± bevacizumab) were treated at our center with combination targeted therapy. All patients received a BRAF inhibitor (dabrafenib) plus an EGFR inhibitor (cetuximab), and three also received a MEK inhibitor (trametinib). Radiological responses were assessed every 8–12 weeks according to RECIST v1.1. Clinical data, including age, metastatic sites, prior treatments, response rate, and progression-free survival (PFS), were retrospectively analyzed. Results: The median age was 56 years (range 45–68). All patients had metastatic disease involving the liver and/or lung at baseline. Following initiation of targeted therapy, three patients (60%) achieved partial response and two (40%) achieved stable disease, yielding a disease control rate of 100%. The median PFS was 7.8 months, and median overall survival had not been reached at the time of data cutoff. Treatment was generally well tolerated. The most common adverse events were manageable skin rash (n=2), fatigue (n=2), and mild diarrhea (n=1). No grade >=3 toxicity or treatment-related discontinuation occurred. Conclusion: This small real-world series demonstrates that combination BRAF-targeted therapy with EGFR ± MEK inhibition provides meaningful clinical benefit in patients with BRAF-mutant mCRC who have progressed after chemotherapy. Despite the historically poor prognosis of this subgroup, targeted therapy achieved encouraging response rates and acceptable toxicity, supporting its role as an effective and tolerable option in daily practice. Further multicenter studies with larger cohorts are warranted to validate these findings. Keywords: BRAF mutation, Metastatic colorectal cancer, Targeted therapy